LOWELL - Elections officials were predicting a better than average turnout in Tuesday's city election, with voters eyeing both established names and new faces in the race for City Council.

"We started somewhat slow, but in the last couple of hours it has really picked up speed," said Election Commissioner Tom O'Brien at noontime Tuesday. "So far, I'd project around 12,000 voters by the end of the day." In the September preliminary, 6,696, or 12 percent, of the city's 56,093 registered voters cast ballots.

Voters who spoke to The Sun on Tuesday said they favored having a City Council with both experience and fresh ideas. Among those voter voices:

Cheryl Kim, who voted at the McAvinnue School on Mammoth Road around 11 a.m: "We'd like to see new faces. Mix things up a little."

Kim said she voted for incumbent Councilor Rodney Elliott, along with challengers Corey Belanger, Stacie Hargis and Derek Mitchell.

At the Robinson School on June Street, Richard Goldin said he follows council meetings closely and supported his favorite incumbents, Bill Martin, Joseph Mendonca and Vesna Nuon, along with newer names Hargis and Mitchell. Godin voted for candidates that he said most support City Manager Bernie Lynch.

"I think Bernie Lynch is brilliant," he said.

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Catherine Karuga-Ndivo said she showed up to vote mostly to support Hargis, particularly for her work as director of the Merrimack Valley Small Business Center. She also supported a mix of other candidates.

"Some old-guard and some new ones," she said.

Troix Bettencourt, voting at Reilly Elementary School in Belvidere, said "newer faces" are a priority.

"Growing up here, I remember the City Council with the same names, so I think it's important to get new candidates like Derek Mitchell and Bill Samaras on the council," said Bettencourt, who added that public safety is an important issue. "We need to get some new ideas out there."

Bettencourt also said he hopes Councilor Joseph Mendonca is re-elected and becomes mayor. Bettencourt said that Mendonca has done a great job as vice chair.

Paul Miron, 72, who lives in the Highlands, wanted a clean slate.

"I never vote for the incumbents," Miron said. "I like to see everyone get a chance."

Bobby Christakos of Pawtucketville said he came out to vote for Elliot and challenger Eric Gitschier.

"They tell the truth and they tell it the way it is," said Christakos, a former Golden Gloves boxing champion.

Brian Caunter, 54, of Pawtucketville, said he got to the polls to vote for Councilor Bill Martin.

"I've known him for 40 years and he is very level-headed," Caunter said.

Lawrence Basteri, also voting in Belvidere, said that crime and education are the most important issues facing the city. Basteri said it's important to get guns off the street, and the former Tewksbury teacher would like to "see something happen" to the high school.

"With Tewksbury getting a new high school and also Billerica looking like they'll get a new high school, it's important for Lowell to improve their schools as well," he said. "Most of the schools are very old, and it's time for change."

Bob Ross, holding a sign for Lowell School Committee candidate Kristin Ross-Sitcawich, his daughter, outside Reilly Elementary School, said there's "nothing wrong with new blood" on the council.

"New energy, new ideas and perspectives can make a big difference," Ross said. "Presidents of companies don't last forever, just like city councilors shouldn't last forever."

Daniel Cote, a Lindt Chocolate worker, who was at James S. Daley Junior High School, voted for a mix of newcomers and incumbents to "mix things up." He said he voted for Elliot, Belanger and challenger Dan Rourke.

Paul Macri, electrician, who was at James S. Daley Junior High School, is looking for more transparency in city government.

"There has been a lot of bickering between candidates instead of getting things done. We need more progress in the city and better representation. I don't think the mayor has done a good job representing the city."

He is a "big fan of Mr. Elliot" because the way he watches over the city finances. On the School Committee side, he supports Dave Conway for his accomplishments.

"He leads the way," Macri said of Conway.

Ken Favreau held a sign for Elliot while resident John Dwyer held a sign for George O'Hare, an incumbent candidate vying for another three-year seat on the Greater Lowell Technical High School Committee.

Favreau said he's happy with improvements at the vocational technical school, but he'd like to see less fighting by School Committee members over at the regional school.

"It's a great school and they're making terrific improvements there. But the political infighting, it has to stop," he said. "It has to stop."

"This is way more active than the preliminary, when it was dead," said election warden Phillip Petros. "We were expected to be busy, but we're floored to have it this high at this time."

But some candidates had different interpretations of a "high" voter turnout. Samaras, holding his sign outside Reilly Elementary School, said turnout wasn't as high as he had expected. Samaras said that some residents are "voted out" because of all the Massachusetts special elections.

Mendonca, holding his sign outside Tsongas Center, said he wished that more people were coming out to vote.

"It seems kind of slow so far, but they will ultimately select their nine city councilors," he said. "And as they say, the voters will get the candidates they deserve."

At Tsongas Center, more than 250 people had cast ballots by 5:30 p.m. in Ward 2, Precinct 3, one of three precincts moved to the arena for this election.

Andres Rivera, voting at Tsongas Center, said in the future he'd like for candidates to have a party designation next to their name on the ballot.

"There should be a D or an R on the ballot," Rivera emphasized. "A lot of my friends refuse to vote because they don't know who to vote for without the D or the R. It does matter to them."

According to numbers around noon, O'Brien said that Ward 1, Precinct 3 at the Reilly School in Belvidere has recorded the highest turnout of at least 350 voters. Around the same time, the Robinson School on June Street had about 215.

While the recent activity has been encouraging, O'Brien said he didn't have sufficient data to provide a clear picture on voter turnout.

"It's still a little early in the day," he said. "We want to be cautious."

Ward 2, Precinct 1 voter Melissa Dawson, who has lived in the Mill City for the last 12 years, said she wished she'd see more young people out and about on voting days. Ward 2, Precinct 1, which is predominantly located in the UMass Lowell campus area with many students, reported only 71 votes by about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Inside the Tsongas Center, Dawson said some people in this world would kill for the opportunity to vote and more Lowell residents should realize this is a privilege, even younger residents.

"I think a lot of people tend not to vote when it's a local election. They think it's not making a big difference," she said, "but I think you actually make more of difference. This is affecting the taxes you're paying. This is affecting what you're children are having at school."

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